Display screens such as cathode tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD) and light emitting diode (LED) displays, are used to display information for purposes including entertainment, business and financial, navigation, and others too numerous to mention. In some situations it may be desirable to use a split screen to simultaneously provide different information to different viewers. For example, in the cockpit of an airplane, where space and weight is at a premium, it would be useful to be able to use a single display source to provide individualized information to, for example the pilot and the co-pilot: the pilot could be provided engine information while the co-pilot could see a radar map, and vice versa.
One way to do so would be to physically split the screen into two or more segments. However, doing so either reduces the amount of information which can be seen or reduces the size and clarity of the information provided. Another way would be to display the information in alternating segments, such as five seconds of engine information and five seconds of a radar map. This may be acceptable in non-critical environments, but would not be acceptable in critical situations, such as in an aircraft.
In some situations it may be desired that each viewer only see what is intended for that viewer. For example, in an interactive video game including two characters, each player would see graphic and alphanumeric information appropriate to the particular character. The above described schemes would not be appropriate in this type of situation as well.